This was the first of a series of talks organized by The Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), which aims to demonstrate the historical significance of Shoreditch in the early modern period.

Julian Bowsher, expert in the archaeology of Shakespearean playhouses, opened by discussing the historical connections of St. Botolph’s Hall which, as well as being a comfortable and friendly venue, is linked to some key figures of the sixteenth century. Some might know Shoreditch as the home of the gallows, as described in The Comedy of Errors: ‘the duke himself in person / comes this way to the melancholy vale, / the place of death and sorry execution’ (5.1.119-121). However, Bowsher explained that in the 1570’s, Shoreditch was also a hotbed of theatrical activity and the home of the earliest concentration of playhouses in London. The talk explored the significance of several playhouses in the area, and paid particular attention the Curtain theatre, which archaeologists rediscovered in 2012.

Bowsher cheerfully confirmed that the stage of the Curtain was indeed a circular shape as suggested in Henry V: ‘may we cram / within this wooden O’ (prologue 13-14), but hinted that the excavations revealed much more besides. Along with confirming past theories, Bowsher confidently debunked the cherished theatre myth of the creation of the Globe from the timbers of the Curtain, whilst explaining the reasoning behind it – that building materials in the sixteenth century were hugely expensive so it was common for timbers to be re-used elsewhere.

With the aid of photographs from the excavation, Bowsher painted a colourful picture of the Shoreditch playhouses as sites of populist, affordable entertainment in a noisy area filled with slaughterhouses and tanneries - this image completely rebukes the only contemporary illustration of the area, which depicts picturesque meadows and woods. In short, Bowsher described the atmosphere of sixteenth century Shoreditch with enough detail for the audience to be convinced that these playhouses were important venues in their own right, and not just forerunners to the larger theatres, the Swan and the Globe.

The viewing gallery for the Curtain’s excavations plans to open in mid-Summer.

Further details can be found at www.mola.org.uk